In a season when people often think to give back to those less fortunate, the Marquette Darfur Action Coalition is asking students and community members this week to remember the people of Darfur suffering all year long at the hands of genocide, hunger and war.
Monday night, the Marquette Darfur Action Coalition hosted a free screening of "The Devil Came on Horseback," a film that gives insight into the Darfur conflict and the issues that the people in the region are currently facing.
The movie was followed by a discussion with state Sen. Spencer Coggs (D-Milwaukee) about how students can actively seek to end the genocide in Darfur and Sudan through both state legislation and individual efforts.
Coggs said he is currently trying to get a bill passed in the State Legislature that will get the state of Wisconsin's investment board to divest itself from companies upholding the Sudanese government. Coggs said the support of Wisconsin's constituents is critical in getting the bill passed, as he and its other supporters are currently encountering reluctance within the Legislature.
According to Coggs, 21 states have already divested from these companies and said he believes it is now Wisconsin's turn to do the same.
"We together can really do something," he said. "I don't want to see the state of Wisconsin be the last state to do something about this . that would be a shame."
On Wednesday the Marquette Darfur Action Coalition will continue its efforts to raise awareness and money for the Darfur conflict with DarfurFast, a nationwide event organized by STAND, A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition, in which students and community members are asked to fast from one luxury item for the day.
Participants are asked to donate the money they would have spent on that item to go toward civilian protection in Darfur, said Neal Styka, president of the Marquette DAC and a senior in the College of Engineering.
Styka said he believes the fast will be an effective means of both education and action because it is an easy way for all people to get involved.
"The fast is a simple way to get people to realize that people really do go hungry every day," he said. "This is a minor step we could take toward change, and the money that we raise could be so beneficial."
The coalition will have tables set up around campus in the Alumni Memorial Union, Cudahy Hall and Lalumiere Hall to collect the money people are donating.
According to Tasia Wilson, a sophomore in the College of Communication and one of the organizers of the events, $3 is enough to protect one woman in Sudan for an entire year, so even the smallest donations are enough to make a difference in the lives of those suffering.
"It's really easy to do your part to help," Wilson said. "You don't have to participate in strikes or protests or sit-ins. You can do really small things that don't take that much time or effort and still really make a difference."
Styka said these events are coming at a perfect time of year and that hopefully the holiday spirit will encourage students to participate in actions toward change.
"This is a good time of the year to have these events because people have the spirit of giving," Styka said. "It's hard not to feel sympathetic for these people, and we want to be able to take action to bring genocide division to an end and to bring peace and reconciliation to such a broken land."